Microsoft to kill Nokia brand

@ 2014/04/22

It seems that the days of a Nokia phone are past and the brand will become a dead parrot once Microsoft has its claws in it.

Nokia flogged its devices and services business to Vole last year and the deal has been jumping through the various regulatory hoops ever since. Microsoft expects to close the deal later this month and when it does, Nokia's phone business will thus be renamed.

Vole has not made an official announcement as yet, an email sent by the company to suppliers reveals that Nokia's phone division will be renamed Microsoft Mobile Oy. The Oy is not an exclamation of threat, Oy is just Finland's equivalent of Ltd.

The division, Microsoft Mobile, will stay in Finland as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vole. Official business address will be changed from Nokia HQ on Keilalahdentie to Keilaranta in Espoo. Apart from the change in legal address, another change after close of the transaction would be the removal of Nokia's logo from purchase orders.

Microsoft will assumes all rights, benefits and obligations of Nokia's devices and services business, including its agreements with suppliers and partners, Microsoft is telling its suppliers that they can also continue to do business with Nokia, for example on Advanced Technologies, NSN and HERE Maps, for which the Finnish company will communicate with them separately.